Collapsible display easel



March 17, 1936. L A B LIN zmmm GOLLAPSIBLE DISPLAY EASEL Filed May 11, 1934 Patented Mar. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT attics 8 Claims.

This invention relates to easels and particularly to collapsible easels.

An object of the invention is to provide an easel for display purposes, which may be readily collapsed to a very compact form.

Another object is toprovide an improved mechanism for holding the easel legs selectively adjusted, in length.

A further object is tov provide a quickly releasable fastening for positively holding the easel laterally extended.

These and various other objects the invention attains by the construction hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the easel, extended and adjusted for use.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the easel as fully collapsed.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the connection between the rear leg of the easel and a pair of toggle arms.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of one of the legs, showing a spring latch for holding the leg selectively adjusted in length.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section showing the connection of a pair of brace members to the rear leg.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section showing the rear leg connection to the easel.

The improved easel comprises a pair of front legs I, a toggle linkage 2, 3 adapted to hold said legs spaced apart, or permit them to assume close mutual proximity, and a rear leg 4, so pivoted on said linkage as to either diverge rearwardly from the plane of the front legs or occupy said plane.

The toggle links 2 are pivoted to the upper ends of the legs I and are pivotally interconnected by the relatively short cylindrical link 3 on which the leg 4 is mounted. Thus the latter leg rigidly and transversely carries on its upper end a sleeve 5 mounted on the link 3 and adapted for a limited rotation thereon. For limiting such rotation and thus establishing a definite rearward inclination of the leg 4 when the easel is in use, there is formed in the sleeve 5 a short circumferential slot 1, through which projects a screw 8 or the like, rigidly carried by the link 3. When the leg 4 has been swung to a proper rearward inclination, the screw 8 acts as a stop by engaging an end of the slot 1.

To positively latch the links 2 and 3 in their alined positions in which the front legs are held apart, a pair of sleeves 9 are mounted on the links 2 and are slidable over the joints between the links 2 and 3 to establish substantial rigidity atsaid character, such arrangement, however, necessar- H.

ily being of a nature to permit collapse of the easel. Thus there is illustrated a lazy-tongs type of rack carried by and in front of the legs I, said rack comprising two crossed series of metal bars It pivotally connected at their crossings, as indicated at I l. Since the vertical extent of such a rack increases with collapse of the rack, it is permissible to fix the rack on the legs I at two points thereof, but any other connections to the legs must slide thereon. It is preferred to fix two points on the top portion of the rack on the legs I and to slidingly engage the lower portion of the rack with said legs. Thus the bolts l2 which pivot the toggle links 2 on the legs I serve also to attach the top portion of the rack to the legs, said bolts each further pivotally interconnecting two of the crossed rack bars It. The bottom portion of the rack is pivoted on a pair of collars I3, freely slidable on the legs I.

Preferably all three legs are adjustable in length, each comprising two or more telescopically engaged tubular members. For maintaining adjustments the inner member of each leg terminally carries a spring latch arm I4, provided on its free end with a pin I5 yieldably urged by the bias of said arm against the wall of the outer leg member, so as to engage in any of a series of apertures It formed at longitudinal intervals in said outer member.

If, for any purpose, it is desirable to impart considerable rigidity to the described easel, when extended for use, it may be further equipped with a pair of brace links H, having adjacent ends pivoted to a collar I8 slidable on the mid portion of the rear leg and individually pivoted at their other ends upon collars I8, free to turn on the mid-portions of the legs 5, but held from sliding on the latter by set collar 2!]. Thus when the easel is collapsed, the links H may lie between the legs l and 4, as appears in Fig. 2.

The described easel is very conveniently portable, because of its light construction and highly compact collapsed form. It is particularly designed for holding floral decorations but is applicable to various other uses.

What I claim is:

1. An easel comprising a pair of front legs, a pair of toggle links connecting said legs, adapted to hold them apart and providing for their movement toward each other, and a rear leg connected tion at its upper end to the front legs and pivotally movable about said connection to and from the front legs.

3. An easel comprising a pair of front legs, a collar slidable on each leg, a lazy-tongs rack forming a collapsible connection between said legs, pivoted on each leg at a fixed point thereof and also pivoted on said collars, and a rear leg having a connection at its upper end to the front legs and pivotally movable about said connection to and from the front legs.

4. An easel comprising a pair of front legs, a pair of toggle links each pivoted to one of said legs, a relatively short link pivotally connecting said toggle links, a pair of sleeves slidable on said links to andfroma position embracing the joints between the toggle links and short link, whereby the links may be positively held in alignment, and a rear leg angularly movable on the short link from a position substantially between said legs to a position rearwardly divergent to said legs.

5. An easel comprising a pair of front legs, a connection between the upper ends of said legs including a pair of toggle links adapted to hold the legs apart and providing for their movement toward each other, a rear leg carried at its upper end by and between said links, and means for securing the toggle links in an aligned relation.

6. An easel comprising a pair of front legs, a pair of toggle links each pivoted to one of said legs, a relatively short link pivotally connecting said toggle links, a rear leg angularly movable n the short link from a position substantially be- 8. An easel comprising a pair of front legs, a

rear leg, upper and lower link means connecting the front and rear legs, both link means providing for movement of the front legs to and from each other, and the lower pair of links providing for forward and rearward travel of the rear leg, and means for securing the upper link means in alignment.

LOUIS A. BERLIN. 

